Marion Hobbs is designing a small breakwater north of Juneau to protect a new dock facility at his property. He and NMFS wish to incorporate reefball technology into the design so the typical riprap structure can offer more habitat for fish and marine invertebrates. The breakwater would be located on an existing bedrock outcrop that currently support typical marine flora and fauna, with a sandy slope to the south and a rock wall
to the northwest. The top of the breakwater would be at MHW. There would be a gap at the shore to allow for inshore migration of juvenile salmon, predominantly chum, that spawn in Yankee Creek very near to the dock and breakwater.
The site has long been used as a recreational diving destination due to the abundant life on the rock wall. The sandy cove supports very little marine life except some flatfish, snake prickle backs, and anemones. Both Marion and I are active commercial and scientific divers respectively, and would be able to monitor the recolonization of reefball structures placed immediately adjacent to the breakwater.
Southeast Alaska is a unique ecotone, with a high tidal
range (-4.4' to 19.7'), low salinities typical of the inside passage, fluctuating visibility that is often very low, fast currents and an abundance of marine life. We seek to enhance the macro algal growth particularly of /Laminaria/ spp. that serves as herring spawning substrate and to provide an improved habitat over riprap for marine life in general.
Note: Project accepted into Reefs Around the World Grant Program 2/2006

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